Accounting machine



Oct. 31, 1939. W. A. ANDERSON ACCOUNTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 19, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 0d. 31, 1939. w. A. ANDERSON ACCOUNTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 19, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A.B.C. LIGHT & POWER C0.

DIFFERENCE PRESENT METER READING NDV 11 4 i 4 Pnavxous METER asume g ocr u 5 64 INVENTOR WAL TER A. ANDERSON 'BY/55 ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 31, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ACCOUNTING MACHINE Application February 19, 1936, Serial No. 64,641

3 Claims.

This invention relates to accounting machines, and more particularly to the type having a traveling paper carriage and a plurality of totalizers.

The principal object of the present invention is the provision of a mechanism that will automatically add a unit into a totalizer under certain predetermined conditions.

Another object of the invention is to automatically print the amount accumulated in the totalizer at a predetermined columnar position of the carriage.

Another object of the invention is to provide a convenient manual control to prevent accumulating in the said register arbitrarily during one or more operations as desired.

With these and incidental objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts, the essential elements of which are set forth in appended claims, and a preferred form of embodiment of which is hereinafter described with reference to the drawings which accompany and form part of the specification.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the invention,

Figure 2 is a back elevation of parts shown in Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the amount keys, printing mechanism and several of the parts shown in Figure 1, and

Figure 4 shows a sample of the work and also shows the portion of the carriage controls pertinent to the present invention.

The mechanism forming the subject matter of the present invention is shown applied to a machine such as that disclosed in my pending application, Serial No. 581,800, filed December 18, 1931.

Referring to Figure l, four totalizers I are situated in vertical alinement at the rear of the machine. These totalizers, for the sake of reference, are designated as A, B, C and D. They are adapt-ed to be actuated by racks 2, slidably mounted in stationary blocks 3. An actuator 4 is pivoted on a stationary rod 5 and carries a stud 6 that normally bears against a lever 'I plvoted at 5 and tensioned clockwise by a spring 8. A bell crank 9 also is pivoted at 5 and tensioned counter-clockwise in relation to the lever 'l by a spring IU. Relative motion between the lever 'l and bell crank 9 is limited by a stud Il situated in a wide notch in the right hand end of the lever 1. During the normal actuation of the machine, the actuator 4 is moved clockwise about its pivot 5, allowing the spring 8 to move the lever l therewith. After a short increment of movement, the lever 'l causes the bell crank 9 to rotate with it, lowering the rack 2 pivoted thereto by the headed stud I2. The parts 1, 9 and 2 thereupon move a distance commensurate 5 with the keyboard set-up, at the end of which movement the lever 'I is arrested, the actuator 4 continuing to the end of its regular excursion.

It will, of course, be understood that there is a separate set of parts 1, 9 and 2 for each decimal order. This movement, therefore, allows the racks 2 for the various denominational orders to be lowered differentially.

After the actuator reaches its fully moved position, a shaft 50 is rotated counter-clockwise, moving a rack 5i and the selected totalizer, carried thereon, into engagement with the racks 2 for actuation. Subsequent return movement of the actuator rotates the lever I counter-clockwise, and raises the racks 2 to their initial position, as shown in the figure. This return movement causes the appropriate amount to be registered on the totalizer. If, during the turning of the totalizer wheels, one of them is turned from 9 to 0, it causes an appropriate transfer mechanism to be tripped'to allow the rack 2 of the next higher order to be raised an additional step under the influence of the spring I0. This additional step causes the rack to be raised to a position where the shoulder I3 on its lower end abuts the lower stationary block 3.

During the next succeeding operation, a plate I4, pivoted at I5 and having a rod Il extending along its lower edge, is moved clockwise about its pivot. A link I8 has an upstanding projection i9 and is suspended at its rear end to an arm 20 secured on one end of a shaft 2i. Another arm (not shown), similar to arm 20, is secured to the other end of shaft 2I. A rod 22 is secured at its ends to the two arms to swing therewith. A spring 22a tensions the rod 22 toward the rear of the machine.

The above mentioned c-lockwise movement of the plate I4 causes the rod I'l to contact the projection I9 and move the link I8 forward. This causes the rod 22 tc swing toward the front of the machine and rotate clockwise any of a series of bell cranks 23 that were tripped for transfer during the preceding operation. This clockwise movement of the bell cranks 23 resets the transfer mechanism to its initial position where it is again in position to operate during the entry of an amount. A11 the above movements are fully described in my above mentioned pending application.

A traveling paper carriage 24, also described in the above mentioned application, is mounted for movement laterally of the machine. This carriage carries a strip 25, pivoted thereto by two pins 26, located at opposite ends of the carriage,

only one of which is shown in the drawings. A lug 21 is secured to the strip 25 and extends a short distance below the lower edge of the strip. The lugr 21 is provided with two cam surfaces 28 at either side. A iioating bell crank 29 is pivoted on the shaft 30 of the A totalizer and has a hook 3| pivoted at 3|a on its upper end. A spring 32 retains the rear end of the hook in its upper position. A bracket 33 is secured to the machine frame by screws 34 and has a slot into which the hook 3| extends to hold the latter against side play. The upper end of the slot limits the upward movement of the hook under the tension of the spring 32. The rear end of the hook normally lies to the rear of the lower edge of the lug 21, as shown. The lower arm of the bell crank 29 extends forwardly in the machine and lies within a slot in a stud 35, secured to the machine frame. 'Ihe forward end of this arm carries a round shoulder 36 lying beneath a finger 31 on the upper end of the slide 38. A weak spring 39 is attached to the slide and to a stationary portion of the machine. A spring 40 is attached to the forward arm of the bell crank 29 and to a stationary portion of the machine, to tension the bell crank counterclockwise about the pivot 30.

The present mechanism provides an additional bell crank 23, situated below the units order, to cooperate with the slide 38, in allowing the units order rack 2 to be moved upward one step. The lower end of this bell crank has a laterally extending shoulder 4I engaging a vertical portion of the slide 38. The bell crank 23 is tensioned counter-clockwise by a spring 42.

By the provision of these parts, when the carriage reaches its columnar position where the lug 21 lies in line with the hook 3|, and the A.

totalizer is engaged, the lug 21 will prevent the hook 3| and the upper arm of the bell crank 29 from moving forward, whereupon the shoulder 36 will move upwardly and forwardly a short distance against the tension of spring 40 and about the point 3|a as a pivot. This distance is suiiicient to raise the slide 38 until the shoulder 4| contacts the inclined edge 43 of the slide 38, whereupon the tension of spring vlll, causing the rack 2 to press upwardly on an oifset shoulder 44 on the bell crank 23, rotates the bell crank counter-clockwise and raises the rack 2 against the tension of spring 39 to enter a unit in the A totalizer.

If it is desired to use this totalizer for ordinary adding work, a means must be provided to prevent the entry of this unit. For such work a throw-olf mechanism has been provided. This mechanism consists of an upstanding arm 45 formed on the strip 25 and having a finger 46 extending into theV vertical plane of a detent 41 pivoted at 48 and tensioned counter-clockwise by a spring 49. When it is desired to use this totalizer for straight addition work, it is only necessary to move the arm 45 to the rear so that the finger 46 moves from one to another of the notches in the detent 41. This moves the lug 21 suiciently toward the front of the machine that when the A totalizer is engaged, the bell crank 29 may be moved bodily forward in the machine without the accompanying raising of the shoulder 36. During such movement the spring 40 holds the bell crank against pivotal movement. By this arrangement, if it is desired to have the A totalizer start from some number other than zero, it is merely necessary to set the desired number on the amount keyboard 52 (Figure 3), move the arm 45 to its rear position and operate the machine.

The unit entering mechanism likewise will not function to enter the unit unless the paper carriage is in its proper columnar position, since unless the lug 21 is in line with the hook 3|, engagement of the A totalizer will again merely slide the bell crank 29 forward in the machine.

'I'he parts 2, 23, 38, etc., are restored to their normal positions during the next succeeding machine operation by the forward excursion of rod 22, as above explained.

It will be understood that the lug 21 may be wide enough to extend across any number of columnar positions, or there may even be a number of lugs 21 secured to the strip 25, if desired.

Due to the fact that the A totalizer remains engaged between machine operations, at which time the carriage is traveling from one position to another, it is necessary to provide the lug 21 with cam portions 28, and to provide the hook 3| with a pivotal connection to the bell crank 29 so that if the operator should allow the paper carriage to move the lug 21 into line with the hook 3| after an operation where the A totalizer is engaged, damage to the parts would not result. In such case, the lug 21 would merely depress the rear end of the hook 3|. Subsequent disengagement of the A totalizer would, of course, restore the bell crank 29 and hook 3| to their normal positions shown in Figure 1.

The mechanism for printing the consecutive numbers is shown in Figure 3, and includes a platen 53, type bars 54 (only one being shown) and printing hammers 55, and is similar to that disclosed in the above mentioned application.

Operation One of the uses to which the invention may be put is in automatically printing consecutive numbers on forms, such as light bills, checks, tax vouchers, etc., a sample light bill being shown in Figure 4. In using this form it is placed in the machine and the appropriate amount entries made thereon in columns 2 and 3 under control magazines 56 and 51 having suitable control lugs of the form illustrated in application Serial No. 581,800. After these "previous and "present meter readings are printed, the machine automatically tabulates to the next columnar position, where the lug 21 comes into alinement with the hook 3|. In this position, the machine is caused to select the A register under control of a lug 58 in a magazine 59, and to automatically execute a cycle under control of a lug 60. The engagement of the A register during the cycle, as explained above, causes a unit to be added therein. The presence of a lug 6| in the non-print position of the magazine prevents printing of this unit.

Upon completion of this cycle, the carriage is automatically tabulated' to the next column where the difference is printed under control of a magazine 62. The net bill is next printed under control of a magazine 63, after which the carriage tabulates to the last column where a. magazine 64 has lugs 65 and 66 to select the A register (consecutive counter) and operate the machine through an otherwise blank cycle preparatory to taking a sub-total from the A register. The carriage is then returned to its extreme right hand position. Since the A register was selected and engaged for the last operation. and lett in engagement at the endof the cycle. it is now in position to have a sub-total taken from it, as explained in the above mentioned application. The taking of the sub-total under control of a lug 61 and a magazine 68 causes the printing of the proper consecutive number on the form, which is then removed from the machine. This operation also is performed automatically through a motor repeat lug 66 in the magazine Si. It will, of course, be understood that these forms each receive only a single horizontal line of entries.

The various controls for such automatic features as automatic closing of themotor circuit. non-printing, totalizer selecting, sub-totaling, totaling and carriage returning, may all be con- 20 trolled by the lateral movement of the paper carriage, in the manner fully disclosed in the above mentioned application.

While the form of mechanism herein shown and described is admirably adapted to fulfill the objects primarily stated, it is to be understood that it is not intended to confine the invention to the one form of embodiment herein disclosed for it is susceptible o! embodiment in various forms all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is:

1. In a machine of the class described, a consecutive number counter having a shaft and a plurality of wheels, a rack for entering a unit in the units order thereof, means for connecting and disconnecting the units order wheel and the rack, a slide for normally preventing movement of the rack, a bell crank mounted on the counter shaft and having the end of one of its arms lying under a portion of the slide, a traveling paper carriage, a member mounted for lateral movement with the paper carriage and having a lug secured thereto, means on the bell crank to cooperate with the lug to restrain movement of the bell crank, the said member being pivoted in respect to the carriage so that the lug may be swung to an ineiective position.

2. In a machine of the class described, a consecutive number counter, actuating means therefor, means to engage the counter with the actuating means, means for preventing operation of the actuating means, means for disabling the preventing means through operation of the engaging means, a traveling paper carriage, and means on the carriage, movable into the path of the disabling means, to control the effectiveness of operation oi' the disabling means.

3. In a machine of the class described, a consecutive number counter having a plurality of wheels and a shaft, a rack for entering a unit in the units order thereof, means` for connecting and disconnecting the units order wheel and the rack, a restraining means normally preventing movement of the rack, a releasing means supported for movement with the counter and operable by the rst named means to trip the restraining 4means to release the rack for operation, a traveling paper carriage, and a connection between the releasing means and the paper carriage to enable the paper carriage to control the eiect of operation of the releasing means.

WALTER A. ANDERSON. 

